Relationships at work are key to motivation, enjoyment and
productivity for the business. You have to spend most of your working day with
your co-workers, so let’s see how you can build and better these relationships.
Communication
People communicate in their preferred method, whether that is by email, face to
face, phone or instant message so if you know that someone prefers a face to
face discussion, take that approach over calling or emailing them. Work with
what you have and what you know.
Email etiquette
Always try to include the people that matter in on an email and explain the
reason for including them. Try not to send an email to a co-worker in an
emotional state, flying off the handle about something that has just happened,
cc’ing your boss in. Wait until a situation has cooled down and try discussing
with your co-worker directly. Be sure to have a clear subject line so your
email does not get lost amongst the spam!
Try yourself first
If you have a question for someone in HR or IT or elsewhere, try to see if
you can have that questioned answered before going straight to them. For
example, if you need to know how much holiday you have, check your contract
first and then if you are not sure visit HR to get that confirmed. Sometimes,
others may get frustrated that they are having to answer questions that are already
written in available documentation with all the questions answered and will likely
say “what is the point in having them if they are not being used?!!”.
Courtesy to others
Instead of ignoring the person who enters the office after you in the
morning, who politely greets you with “morning”, be polite and greet them back.
Be aware that you are working around these people for the majority of the day
and you do not want to upset them or give them a reason to dislike you. Avoid
burping, do not take other peoples food and drink, try to wrap up smelly left
over food so it does not stink the office out for the afternoon and avoid
leaving the toilets in a mess. When talking to others, address them by their
name and avoid any potential sexual/racial upset. A little common courtesy goes
a long way.
Welcome the new
Think about how you felt on your first day and how it would make you feel
if your new co-workers welcomed you into your new role nicely. When a new employee
is hired, welcome them and make them feel like they are part of the team from
the outset.
Time
It is important not to pester other co-workers should you need something doing.
If they are busy with someone else, try not to hang around until they have
finished as it puts pressure on them. Likewise, if someone is eating their
lunch or having a break, try to avoid discussing a work related issue until
they are back into work mode. This also goes for bumping into someone at the
weekend or evening. You do not want to become that annoying, pestering guy!
Monitor social media
In order to safeguard your job and professionalism, it is probably better
not to engage in social media relations with co-workers. Think about maybe using Linkedin for business
connections and keeping Facebook for your friends and family. Drunk pictures
and inappropriate behaviour will not go down well with some people that you do
not know very well and have to keep a level of professionalism with.
Avoid moaning at work
It will appear unprofessional and negative to moan about what is going on
at work. It is normal to vent but ideally keep that for when you are “not”
there and “not” with your co-workers. It is especially important for a manager
or leader to avoid negativity in front of their employees as this gives a bad
vibe that travels around the workplace.
Honesty & Trust
Honesty and trust go a long way with everyone, not only in the workplace but
through life in general. If something has happened it is better to own up as
you will get more respect than lying and being found out at a later date or
others finding out and whispering about you. Trusting your co-workers will lead
to a more healthy relationship and allow you be able to put more focus on your
own task and let others do their thing.
Although some of these areas seem to be common sense, they
should give you more understanding of how other people work and how to build
and better your relationships with others. If you have any other ideas OR if
you have any working examples on how any of the above points have helped you,
let us know below…